Monthly Archives: September 2015

An article in this week’s New York Times describes “How to Ask for Forgiveness, in Four Steps.” The four steps are: Admit vulnerability (which includes taking responsibility, and acknowledging the impact that one’s offense had on others); Apologize; Ask for forgiveness; and Practice forgiving. These are good reminders that there’s a process to asking for […]

Yom Kippur began last night at sundown, a time when Jews restore their relationship to God through repentance for their offenses. It’s the culmination of a ten-day period of reflection, repentance and return known as “teshuvah.” Repentance can be a refreshing, joyful act, says Louis Newman, a professor who has both studied and practiced it. […]

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has invested a lot in peacemaking. I was part of their effort in the late 1990’s to train hundreds of district superintendents around the U.S. in Christian mediation, in hopes that they would be able to resolve pastor-parish conflicts internally, and well. So it was with real sadness that I came […]

Michigan Representative Cindy Gamrat apologized today before a House legislative committee for her role in a scandal involving fellow legislator Todd Courser. The West Michigan legislator apologized “for the failures I’ve committed, which do not reflect the heart of who I am, the values I believe in, nor the people I serve. I humbly ask […]